Everyone knows the rumours surrounding the local lake that’s half-air, half-water. But only Bastían Silvano and Lore Garcia have ever been in the magical, otherworldly space beneath it. Bastián grew up both above the lake and beneath it, while Lore’s only seen the world underneath once in a moment of utter turmoil, but that one encounter changed their life forever.
When the world under the lake suddenly drifts above surface, Bastián and Lore find themselves having to work together to keep their secrets from being exposed as well. But working together means trusting each other with the very things they’re trying to hide, which proves its own battle to be fought. Can they keep their worlds above water intact without losing themselves within its waves?
McLemore has this uncanny ability to both wreck and mend me within the same book. The way they create stories with magical realism that feel like you as the reader might just end up in the same magical situation if circumstances were different is hard to put into words. And Lakelore, unsurprisingly, proved to be yet another unputdownable read. Following two nonbinary teens who are both neurodivergent, both Bastián and Lore are dealing with their own struggles in their daily lives. Lore is new in town and struggling with their dyslexia while Bastien is trying their hardest to manage their ADHD, especially as they are trying to take T shots on their own. While I can’t speak to the representation of the former, I think the representation of ADHD was so, so well done. For example, Bastien is overwhelmed with new information and though they try to focus when the nurse explains to them how to do the T injections, they check out during the conversation and don’t ask for clarification, embarrassed. It reminded me a lot of how I used to fear asking for someone to repeat themselves because I didn’t want them to think I wasn’t listening and rather just couldn’t listen and retain all the information because my brain was already somewhere else. McLemore clearly knows what they’re writing about and I think that for anyone who’s ever struggled with ADHD, this representation will make them feel seen and understood.
Beyond this exploration of neurodivergence, Lakelore also discusses bullying, ableism and the ways in which trauma informs how we approach the world and others. Both Bastián and Lore are hesitant to trust, yet their friendship and eventual romance never felt forced and instead almost like fate. I loved how their interactions showcased how important it is to have someone you can confide in and how validating it can be to find someone who understands your struggles because they’ve lived through them themselves.
The descriptions of the world under the lake were also ethereal and entrancing. Granted, at times it felt like reading a long poem instead of a prose novel and I might have been confused once or twice just how to picture the world under the lake, but I almost feel like that was a conscious writing choice to make the reader imagine the space however they need them to – whatever they would want their safe space to look like.
My favourite part of the novel, however, is the way we get to see Bastián’s relationship with their brother. While this isn’t the sole focus of Lakelore, it brings with it so much anxiety, love and mutual understanding that had me tearing up quite a bit. When their brother leaves town, Bastián is put in charge of protecting the secret of the lake that has been a safe space for both of them. While I don’t want to spoil anything, the relationship between Bastián and their brother is altered the moment Lore enters the magic space under the lake and the ways in which McLemore explores this relationship are exquisite. Also, if you’ve never heard of alebrijes (like I hadn’t before reading this novel), then I bet you’ll be fascinated by them once you close the book. I for one can never look at them the same way after reading Lakelore.
Giving the much-deserved spotlight to two Mexican-American, nonbinary, neurodivergent teens trying to keep their secrets safe beneath a magical lake only they can visit, Lakelore is an ethereal and riveting novel that invites readers to believe in the ineffable magic of friendship and love.
Lakelore is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of March 8th 2022.
Will you be picking up Lakelore? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
In this young adult novel by award-winning author Anna-Marie McLemore, two non-binary teens are pulled into a magical world under a lake – but can they keep their worlds above water intact?
Everyone who lives near the lake knows the stories about the world underneath it, an ethereal landscape rumored to be half-air, half-water. But Bastián Silvano and Lore Garcia are the only ones who’ve been there. Bastián grew up both above the lake and in the otherworldly space beneath it. Lore’s only seen the world under the lake once, but that one encounter changed their life and their fate.
Then the lines between air and water begin to blur. The world under the lake drifts above the surface. If Bastián and Lore don’t want it bringing their secrets to the surface with it, they have to stop it, and to do that, they have to work together. There’s just one problem: Bastián and Lore haven’t spoken in seven years, and working together means trusting each other with the very things they’re trying to hide.
